Enjoying her last few days of freedom before she starts her new job at the punk bar, Lily hangs with a few of her friends on the street corner. They're doing their usual, hanging out, making fun of people who cross the street to stay away from the 'scary punks', and just being generally loud and obnoxious.
     Lily has some of her paintings out, displayed side-by-side, hoping for a sale. A few brave individuals have actually stopped to take a peek, but so far, they've all walked off empty-handed.
     One tall, gangly youth hangs off of Lily with a cigarette barely hanging from his lips. She doesn't seem to be paying him the same amount of attention he's paying her, but no one seems to comment.
     "So, he says tha' he dinnae mean it. Yah ri'... like I believed tha'..." says another punk girl with spikey pink and green hair and a multitude of facial piercings.

     Fuck Me Kitten is one such friend. Course, that's not her real name. Her real name is Elizabeth St. Martins, the middle child of a good family and the only girl. She was doomed from the start. She's dressed in torn, hot-pink fishnets, with a pair of leather shorts with diamond-shapes cut out here and there. Her shirt's a black tee with a hot pink cat-face winking back at the world. Most folks might miss that the kitten's also flipping off the world.
     She's sittin' on the pavement. A glance up and she sees HIM hanging off of HER like wet laundry on an old line and she rolls her magenta-rimmed eyes that match her magenta hair, pulled up in a multiple crowd of small ponytails. Loser is what she mouths silently, then sticks out her tongue at a passing car. Whatever.
     "So pass a cigarette ya cunt..." her accent is decidedly Cornwall, Fowey side. "Ah'm twitchin' and pissin'... Ah'm bored...what are we gonna do, anyway?"

     "Quit yer bitchin'. You wan' a fag, go buy yer own if yer gonna be like tha'," Nate, the guy hanging off of Lily, retorts. Scrunching her face up a bit, Lily hauls off and elbows Nate in the gut.
     "Give it over, Nate... quit bein' a shite," Lily orders him. Like a dog that just got his nose rubbed in his own mess, Nate lowers his head, plucks the cigarette from his lips and passes it to Kitten. "Here... an' don' say I never give ya anythin'," he rumbles.

     Look, if I wanted to be polite, I woulda stayed in boarding school, learnin' to be charmin' and shite. Fuck Me Kitten smirks, wrinkles her nose, then takes the cig. "I'll buy y' pint." Whatever. "So... what are we gonna do, then, with the rest of our fine evenin'? I wanna score. I wanna dance or somethin'," she takes a drag, bright pink fingernails and pink lipstick blaring as bright as traffic lights. That's the point, ja?
     "Nate the Nit he ate a gnat," Kitten croons. She hasn't a half-bad voice, in truth. Exhaling smoke, she sits back, fag in her mouth and leaning her weight on her hands. "It's a Wednesday night, there's shite for entertainment..."

     Lily manages to dislodge herself from Nate, much to his disappointment. Dropping down on her butt next to the Kitten, she says, "Well, I dunno. The paintings ain't selling. My job doesn't start for a few days, so we'd better do something fun. Dancing sounds good..." She doesn't mention scoring, for fear of getting Nate's hopes up too high. "You know anywhere good, Kitten?"

     Up the way, at the line of appearing twilight, there's a blur of white, silver. Yeah, from the west, that blur of white and silver is heading from west to east like a comet, like a falling star...
     Soho princess, she's a woman on a mission. May the Glory of the Lord Shine upon you, may His Face Shine upon you. Kyrie this, right? Mongolian features and long straight blue-black hair. She's dressed in white leather hip huggers. A white silk shirt, with silver swirls and spirals, almost like iridescent targets. A 4" diameter silver hoop earing hangs from her left ear, while a cascade of hoops sparkle from her right, there are seven piercings, each hoop successively larger, with the largest being in her lobe. Her cheeks are brushed with sliver glitter, high and pronounced cheekbones sparkle. And white and silver and cyan powder sparkle around her eyes.
     And boy oh boy is she in a hurry...

     Kitten shrugs and leans forward, arms hugging around her long, skinny legs. She rests her head on her knees. "I dunno. I was thinking about Fat Jack's but Ah'm bored of Jack's. Maybe we can find a gypsy party," where rave-like conditions, only with better music, take over an abandoned building.
     "We should do something fun. I can't believe you're goin' on the dole...workin' for a livin' an' all. Fuck all to that..."

     Ahhh the days when he could be young, bored and itching to do something. Jack wishes he could remember those days of his carefree youth. Of course technically he never had a carefree youth in any event, but hell, who's keeping score? For now that fireplug of a man is content to take a strole.
     If he told you he stood five and a half feet he'd be lying, and his shoulders almost seem as wide as he is tall. He's a punk, but obviously one of those old school wankers that went punk when it made it's first baby steps in the 70's and never made it out of the decade. His 'look' is sufficently less... boisterous compared to his modern contemporaries. Pinched between his lips a cheap cigar half gone a bright cherry buring on the tip. He seems to be making his way towards the small gathering of punks on the curb.
     "Evenin' Lil...." He says in a deep voice, His words are accented but not terribly thick, as if he'd lost it and it is only slowly coming back. "You get a new Growth or are you hangin' wi' Nate tonight." A curt nod to the lanky young man that already doesn't like him. A look then to Kitten and a polite, "Hello." the 'h' is on the verge of leaving but hasn't yet.
     However something... gets his attention, something sparkly... the Mongolian princess in such a hurry to be exact.

     As well she should. A Mongolian dressed like a Soho party girl is bound to get a lot of attention. Hell, a Mongolian moving like Gengis Khan outside of the Great Steppes is bound to get a lot of attention. She's got Khan on her heels, that's for sure. London, watch out!
     Kenneth Cole heels to be exact. Bright red. Patent leather.
     She crosses the street, coming straight for you, jaywalking with the best of them in the late afternoon rush hour. As she approaches, at least one of you might feel the static in the air. At least one of you might notice the brilliant light. Maybe it's just her shirt. Maybe her earrings. One of you might be able to hear the buzz of the corona like a neon sign.
     May the Glory of the Lord Shine upon you, may He turn his Face to you...
     Pop! As she passes by she goes three steps and then she stops. A look over her shoulder and she narrows her eyes. Don't I know you? And in her pausing, maybe Jack takes note of the flash of silver at the flat of her stomach, at the waist of her hip huggers, hidden by the silver and white silk fabric...

     Fuck Me Kitten looks up and wiggles her fingers to Jack, blowing out smoke. "Heylo..." And she goes right back to smokin'...

     "A gypsy party sounds fab," Lily comments with a nod, reaching out for the cigarette, wanting a quick drag. "I could use some deafening music to drown out the disappointment..." This is said while motioning toward her ignored paintings leaning up against the building nearby.
     Looking to Kitten, she shrugs and retorts, "Hey... I need to eat and the paintings aren't cutting it..." Nor is peddling.
     She glances up at Jack as he approaches, and smiles. "Hey... there you are." The comment about Nate being a growth makes her grin and stifle a snicker. Nate just glares. He doesn't say a word, but anger practically drips from the air around him. "What are you up to?" Something white and shiny catches her eye, causing her to glance in the direction of the Soho party girl...

     The old punk Smiles with some small ammount of contentment, it's not that he loathes the youth.. He just finds him to be obnoxious. "Well I've been skulking around...." He says to Lily, but his attention is still on the our Soho party girl. He holds up his hand as if he's trying to shield his eyes from a bright flash. Of course she is in all silver. His eyes narrow as he looks at the young woman.
     Recognition flashes in those narrowed eyes. And they quickly grow wide, "Sweet fucking christ on a stick! Is that you?" Is that who?

     Lily's gaze flickers between the old punk and the Soho party girl. Oh... someone else he knows. Hmm...should I know this person? Her fingers still reach out at the Kitten's cigarette...oh, wasn't that Nate's? Not anymore, is it?
     Nate continues to scowl at Jack, even if it's the back of his head. The youth seethes, but because of Lily, he's not saying a damned thing.

     Hands go on her hips: is it any doubt? Do you kiss your Savior with that mouth? There is a chime as she does so, silver bangles circle her wrists, mostly hidden by the sleeves of her shirt. And then she smiles. Her lips have been painted with a kind of frosty pink. She kind of looks like a cross between the Mongolian Jennifer Lopez and a slightly shorter version of Tia Carrere smashed together. "Uh-huh," Yisun drags out. She points at him and peers. "Mare's milk with a beer back, right?" Insider bartender joke. And then she smiles.
     The young demon caught a break today. That's okay. She'll find him later. Make no mistake about it. Yisun folds her arms across her chest. As she does so, the silver and white silk shirt pulls against her waist, showing a slight bulge. That'll be her gun. Drugs? Maybe. Mob? Maybe. Go ahead and ruminate on that a while.
     She glances to his friends. Unusual crowd. She looks to Lily, the blue haired girl, and Fuck Me Kitten, the pink haired. "Good color," she says, then looks back to Jack. "Say, it's been a while, huh," her accent is decidedly British-American. Mongolian lost a long time ago.

     Kitten looks up at the Soho Girl with a mixture of awe and disdain, but mostly awe. She tries to sneer, really she does, but instead of looking like Sid Vicious she ends up looking more like a twisted Lucille Ball.

     It's quite a shame that the mongolian accent is gone. Jack would pay a cool million to here the might Uri go I love you long time. Of course the suggestion alone (or even just thinking it now) Is likely to get him shot. "That is has been what brings you to this neck of the world?"
     Before she can answer Jack looks to Lily where she sits next to the Fuck Me Kitten.. "This is an old friend of mine." Though of course she looks like what? half his age? "I think she might be interested in one of your paintings too. You should show them to her. You got the one with the Lion out here?"

     Lily keeps quiet until Jack addresses her, letting the two acquaintences (or friends? more than friends?) get re-acquainted. Standing up, she holds out her hand toward the girl in white. "Hello... nice to meet you," she says to the other woman. The cigarette she was trying to get off of the Kitten ignored and forgotten now.
     Glancing at Jack, she shakes her blue-topped head. "No. That one's...not for sale." She couldn't sell it if she tried. She's hanging onto that one now.

     A plucked eyebrow quirks up curiously. Lions. And she looks from Jack to Lily. A moment passes before she shakes hands, she'll never get used to that concept. One, it's not angelic. Two, it's not Mongolian. But she does it, a quick clasp of her fingers. Her fingernails are silver too. "Yah, we go way back," Yisun chortles, then she smiles. "Yisun Inkhe," she says in introduction. "And you are?" She didn't get your name, Lily. Twisting, Yisun looks to Jack. "And I didn't know this was your neck of the woods you know. I have been here a couple of weeks, something like that. Where you been?"
     And my future's so bright, I gotta wear shades... don't you know...
     Oh, and the air is definitely friends, but very Platonic. Cherubim and Malakim don't make good bedmates. Course, tell that to Soldekai. Opposites attract, yah?

     "Oh... nice to meet you. I'm Lily," comes the blue-haired one's response. "A friend of Jack's is a friend of mine," she adds with a bright smile.
     Behind her, Nate hides a snort by leaning down and plucking the cigarette off of Kitten before to take a drag. Lily shoots him a look, having caught the brief noise.

     "You're such a twat, Nate," Kitten sneers, aha! She gets it right this time, but then she sticks out her tongue at him. Then curls it. Flirt.

     "Oh here.. there... taking care of some business abroad." You know fighting demons, baby sitting other Angels, your usual set of duties. There's something about him though, He's a bit more.. robust. Spiritually healthy maybe? In any event he seems to be quite well to finding the former glory most thought he had all but lost. The makings of the once feared warrior angel are certainly returning.
     "I've been here a coupla months. Learning my way around town, finding all the good places to drink. Bouncing a little, getting out the trumpet to play a set here and there..." He waves a hand then, "And yes this is Lily, starving artist and all around trouble maker but I like to pester her." He gives the blue haired girl a wink.

     Yisun takes her hand back and folds her arms against her chest again, one hip cocked. Same as her gun, actually. "Ah... yes, you know you look good. You've been eating the Big Macs. I was talking to Michael, he said you were shaking off the dust, you know. Well," she smiles. Brilliantly. "It is good, I have a friend in town. I found a little flat in Soho," fancy, "... been scouting out the good places," she waggles her arched eyebrows, "the not-so-good-places. You can show me around sometime."
     Yisun briefly looks to the others around, they're not chiming in so she ignores them. She looks to Lily. "He and I were in America some time ago, few years now. We do this from time to time, bump into one another like...ah.." she snaps her fingers, trying to jog a word from her memory, "...kismet! Yah..." She looks to Jonathan and then from him to Lily. "You wanna buy me a beer, Mr. Big Time?" There's that accent you know and love. Hey, it's as close to Love you long time, me so horny as he's going to get.

     The others on the street corner are left alone for now. In truth, Lily's kind of glad not to have Nate hanging off of her for a bit. Shoving her hands in her jeans' pockets, she grins and says, "America, eh? Wow... you've been all over, Jack..." Then again, that's stupid...of course he has.
     Then it hits her... if they're old friends... she blinks, then looks at Jack, then over to Yisun, then at Jack and back again. Oh. Oh wow. They likely go that far back.
     All the colour drains from Lily's face and she looks like she might pass out. She manages to steady herself, hoping no one noticed. With a weak chuckle, she comments, "Well, there's nothing like bumping into an old friend."

     Yisun has no idea, of course, that the young woman knows anything about the wings and God bit. I mean, sure the drop of 'lion' earlier was a bit odd, considering that's what Jack is on the inside, but I mean... how was she to know? So when the young girl looks like she's going to pass out, Yisun looks at her strangely.
     Is she sick? Pregnant?
     "Soooo..." she drawls out.

     "I think a beer sounds Lovely Yisun.. It'll be my treat..." In the two month's he's been here he's wracked up favors all over the city. There's not a whole lot of places he has to pay for his drinks. It's quite the racket and great way to gather info. "Well you care to Join us Lily?"
     Even as the question is asked he reaches into his front pocket and produces a brass money clip. He counts out a few pounds and holds them out to Nate, "And here. Go pick me up some Cigars... You can keep the change."

     Lily manages to smile at Jack, nodding as she murmurs distractedly, "Oh... um, sure. That sounds great, actually. Oh, but I need to get my paintings back to the motel first. Where are you heading? I'll catch up with you two shortly..." Forgotten is Kitten's suggestion to go dancing. Suddenly, she's not feeling up to that.
     Nate blinks in disbelief as he was in mid-pass with the cigarette back to Kitten. Wot? You've got to be kidding me? He rolls his eyes and glances to Lily, as though she will get him out of this.
     The lanky youth's scowl changes to a smile as Lily looks at him. "Fine." Dammit. Glancing back at Jack, he tries not to grab the cash too quickly, but it does disappear from Jack's hand with a quick snap.

     Yisun smiles. Brilliant. Quick. A star flash, and the glitter on her cheeks catches the departing light of the sun. May the Light of the Lord shine upon you. May it guide you. May the Lord show His Face unto you...
     "Alright," she drags out. "If it is your treat, we may have to drink until sunrise, am I right?" Yisun laughs. As much at the interplay between Jack and Nate as the joke. At the question of where they're heading, she points to Jack and turns.
     And in her turn, readjusts her gun. How delicate.

     "You know you should be careful with that... there pretty draconian about people carrying those here." Of course, Jack's packing.. he always is... Bessy's probably in a long pocket sewn into his coat lining.
     With a smile then to Lily, "Ok then, you becareful getting those up there then ok? I think I'm gonna take Yisun to the Wheatsheaf..."

     Gathering up her paintings, Lily calls over her shoulders, "Okay. I'll catch up with you two later. Barring that, the motel room is always open." With that, Nate turns on his heel and heads off in a huff.

     Well, she was delicate about it. "So I hear... but I was in a hurry. Left my jacket in the underground. Luckily, I always keep my money and ID in my bra." Hey, that's what cleavage is for. It's like a whole 'nother country down there.
     Yisun turns, giving Lily a bit of the eye as she heads off with her gear and art, and then looks to Jonathan. You're up to something. I know you. "Well then... let's go, cowboy," hands back on her hips.
     Does it creep you out to think whether or not she has called Michael the same thing?

Posted by rowan at September 06, 2003 11:29 PM